What are the benefits of this program?

The STAR, Samsung Take-back and Recycling Program, addresses the growing global environmental problem of solid waste disposal in landfills.  The program sets a benchmark for voluntary manufacturer cartridge return programs in both the consumer and business printer and supplies industry.

The STAR program is a simple and convenient way for Samsung laser printer and MFP users to insure that empty Samsung brand toner cartridges are responsibly and cost-effectively recycled, and their base materials re-used.  The program is completely free to Samsung laser printer and MFP users; the program’s costs are borne by Samsung.

An important premise of the STAR program is that the cartridges are recycled and their base materials are re-used; they are not incinerated or collected and sent to landfills.  The plastics, metals and other materials are recovered in an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulated and approved facility.  Even the box and packaging materials used to return your cartridge are recycled and then re-used. Samsung laser printer and MFP users can rest assured that your returned empty toner cartridges will not contribute to fouling the environment.

**learning resource**According to a recent research study by Infotrends (www.infotrends.com), nearly half of all exhausted OEM toner cartridges in the U.S. and Western Europe are thrown out by users and not returned for recycling. Samsung’s program is designed to be simple and convenient for users to participate in, with the aim to reduce the number or cartridges thrown away and not recycled. In addition, Gartner Group has identified the “Top 10 Strategic Technologies for 2008,” including “Green IT,” noting that the ICT industry produces 2 per cent of global CO2 emissions, placing it on a par with the aviation industry